Suction oil-plug for overcoming back pressure in lubricator oil-pipes.



No. 773,353. PATENTED OCT, 25, 1904. P. TUMA,

SUCTION OIL PLUG FOR OVEROOMING BAOK PRESSURE IN LUBRIGATOR OIL PIPES.

Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT rrrcn.

FRANK TUMA, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SUCTION OIL-PLUG FOR OVERCOMING BACK PRESSURE IN LUBRICATOR OIL-PIPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,353, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed June 1, 1904. Serial No. 210,663. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK TUMA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suction Oil-Plugs for Overcoming Back Pressure in Lubricator Oil-Pipes; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a lubricator for oiling the valves and cylinders of different classes of engines, and has for its object to provide a suction oil-plug for overcoming back pressure in the pipe or pipes through which the oil or lubricant is conducted to the part to be oiled. In lubricators, especially in the type of the stick or tallow class, it is a common experience that the steam from the steam chest or cylinder condenses to a greater or less degree in the pipe leading from the lubricant-chamber to the part to be lubricated, and the oil floats on this water of condensation and the back pressure of steam from the chest or cylinder holds up this water and oil, so that the lubricant is prevented from feeding to the part to be lubricated, and especially is this so when the engine is being run with the throt- -tle wide open, and as a consequence undue friction is created and the liability of breakage or injury to the parts increased. For the purpose of preventing the back pressure of steam from holding up this water and oil and to create a suction, so that the oil will be continuously fed to the part to be lubricated, whether the engine is being run with the throttle open or not, is the purpose of my in vention; and with that end in View the invention consists in features of construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 is an end view of an engine-cylinder and steam-chest with my invention applied to the steam-chest. Fig. 2 is an inverted bottom View of my suction oil-plug. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 8 3 of Fig. 2 and with the screw-cap partly in full lines,

' and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

In the drawingsthe numeral 1 designates a plug formed with a screw-threaded tip or nipple 2, by which it may be screwed into the steam-chest or other part of the engine through which the parts are to be lubricated, said plug being illustrated as provided with a nut 3 for the purpose of eflecting a close and finished connection between the plug and the member into which it is screwed. The plug is provided with a nipple 4:, which communicates with a vertical channel or passage 5, formedin the body of the plug, through the discharge end of which the oil is delivered, said passage preferably being of a downwardly-tapering form, as illustrated, and the nipple 4 has connected to it by a screw-coupling 6 or otherwise one end of the oil or tallow pipe 7 which leads from the oil or tallow cup, (not illustrated,) which may be of any approved pattern.

Within the channel or passage 5 is fitted a I steam-nozzle 8, the upper portion of which is illustrated as lying within a chamber 9,formed within the plug, and at which point the nozzle is formed with orifices 10, so that steam may pass from the chamber 9 into the nozzle.

The chamber 9 receives steam from the steam- I chest or other part of the engine to which the plug is connected through a passage-way or passage-ways 11, which 1 are formed in the body of the plug and receive steam at the lower end and discharge it at the upper end into the chamber 9. The steam is discharged from the nozzle 8 into the channel or passage 5, and, being under greater pressure than the pressure from the steam-chest exerted at the discharge end of the passage 5, it creates a suction at the oil-pipe connection with the plug and prevents back pressure of steam from the steam-chest in the passage 5 and in the oil or tallow pipe, such as would hold up the water of condensation and oil and prevent the flow of the oil to the parts to be lubricated. The back pressure of steam from the steam-chest being thus overcome, there is a continuous feed of the oil or lubricant to the parts to be oiled, and when the plug is applied to the steam-chest the valves are lirstlubricated by the oil and then the cylinder is lubricated by the oil which passes from the steam-chest to the cylinder, and this is so whether the engine is being run with the throttle open or not. Another advantage of my invention is that there is a continuous circulation of steam from the steam-chest through the plug to the nozzle and thence through the nozzle and oil-discharge passage back to the steam-chest. The operation is the same whether this suctionplug is applied to the steam-chest or to the cylinder or to whatever part of the engine to which the plug may be attached, so that it may receive the steam for creating the suction and preventing the back pressure in the oil or tallow pipe leading from the luhricantcup, although for purposes of illustration I have shown the plug applied to the steamchest of an engine. The nozzle 8 is illustrated as held in place by a screw-plug 12, which when screwed in place bears against the upper end of the nozzle and holds it to its seat in the passage or channel 5. This also allows easy access to the interior of the suction oilplug when desired.

It will be observed that under the particular form of my invention illustrated the passageway for leading the steam from the steamchest or from the cylinder, if the plug be attached to the cylinder instead of to the chest for the purpose of creating the suction and preventing the back pressure in the oil or tallow pipe, is formed in the body of the plug itself, so that areturn-circuitfrom the steam-chest and back to the same is formed in the body of the plug, and that there are no external pipe connections with the plug except the connection for the oil or tallow pipe which leads from the lubricant-cu p. This greatly simplifies the construction and materially reduces the liability of damage to or impairment of the eliiciency of the device. It will further be observed that the suction oil-plug is free from the employment of any valve to form a part of the same and that the plug serves under all conditions, whether the engine is run with the throttle open or closed, to continuously feed the oil to the part to be lubricated instead of having an intermittent feed. It will further be observed that there is a space or chamber in the upper part of the plug which has a larger area than the discharge end of the oil passage-way in the same plug, so that the steam-pressure in the plug is greater than the steam-pressure exerted by the steam in the chest against the discharge end of the oil passageway, whereby back pressure of steam is prevented in the oil passage-way and in the oil or tallow pipe and whereby is created a downward suction through the plug to the tallow pipe with the plug, thus facilitating the flow and delivery of the oil to the part to be lubricated.

I have illustrated and described with particularity the simplest form of my invention; but it is obvious and is to be understood that changes can be made in the particular details of construction and arrangement of the parts and essential features of my invention still be retained.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is 1. A suction oil-plug for overcoming back pressure in oil-pipes of lubricators, comprising the plug formed with the lubricant passage-way, and the steam passage-way in communication with it, and the lubricant-supply pipe opening into the lubricant passage-way, both of said passage-ways being formed in the body of the plug and arranged to have the steam passage-way receive steam at the same end that the lubricant passage-way discharges the lubricant, said passage-ways being so relatively proportioned that the downward pressure of steam in. the lubricant passage-way will be greater than the upward pressure at its discharge end, whereby a downward suction will be created in the lubricant passage way and back pressure in the same and the lubricant-supply pipe will be prevented, substantially as described.

2. A suction oil-plug for overcoming back pressure in oil-pipes of lubricators, comprising the plug formed with the lubricant passage-way, the steam passageway, the steamchamber intermediate of the steam passageway and lubricant passage-way and in communication with both, and the lubricant-supply pipe in communication with the lubricant passage-way, said passage-ways being arranged to have the steam passage-way receive steam at the same end that the lubricant pas sage-way discharges the lubricant, the passage-ways and steam-chamber being so relatively proportioned that the downward pressure of steam in the lubricant passage-way will be greater than the upward pressure at its discharge end, whereby a downward suction will be created in the lubricant passageway and back pressure in the same and the lubricant-supply pipe will be prevented, substantially as described. v

3. A suction oil-plug for overcoming back pressure in oil-pipes of lubricators, comprising the plug formed with the lubricant passage-way, the steam passage-way formed to receive steam from a source of supply, the steam-injector nozzle in communication with the steam passage-way and fitting in the lubricant passage-way to direct steam through the same, and the lubricant-supply pipe in communication with the lubricant passageway, substantially as described.

4. A suction oil-plug for overcoming back steam-chest from the connection of the oil or i pressure in oil-pipes of lubricators, comprising the plug formed with the lubricant passage-way, the steam passage-way formed to receive steam from a source of supply, the steam-chamber into which steam is discharged through the steam passage-way, the steaminjector nozzle arranged to receive steam from the steam-chamber and inject it into the lu bricant passage-way, and the lubricant-supply pipe in communication with the lubricant passage-way, substantially as described.

5. A suction oil-plug for overcoming back pressure in oil-pipes of lubricators, comprising the plug formed with the lubricant passage-way, the steam passage-way, the steam- 

